


Ruby

by Luna_Silvestre



Series: Precious Stones [3]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, MC is not Reader, Mystic Messenger - Freeform, Mystic Messenger April Fool's Special 2017, Reader Is Not MC, Reset Theory (Mystic Messenger)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-25 23:24:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10774653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna_Silvestre/pseuds/Luna_Silvestre
Summary: She danced to the tune laid before her. Yoosung’s best friend, Jaehee’s sympathizer, and cautious warmth for Zen.





	1. Rebellion

That morning, she woke up to familiar surroundings. Back in time, one would think that was cause to celebrate. She screamed into her pillow. She was like a specter, a shadow of her previous self. Assuredness left her even as she followed his instructions. Feeling recalcitrant and sullen, she decided to deviate.

**_Moi: There’s no password lock._ **

 There. Take that, you strange man. That would show him she was no one’s puppet. He had to be in on this whole thing. This was how she could break the cycle.

Unknown: Are you sure? The response conveyed incredulity, but there was something else she couldn’t quite place. Still, she was determined.

**_Moi: Yep, I don’t see a thing_**. She replied calmly, putting her phone away.

_“Why don’t you stop lying, Ofelia?”_ His reply had dread pooling in her stomach, his voice distorted and far too close for her to be anything but terrified. The way her name sounded from his lips was nightmarish.

 He was behind her. Tactical misstep here, it seemed. She wanted to run. She was unable to do so. The rug had been pulled out from beneath her feet. She hadn’t anticipated that her refusal would be met with such a drastic deviation. She stepped away from this newcomer. Her back met the wall and she cursed her own predictability. She’d donned the garb of the quarry and fallen prey. This white wolf would be her end. A part of her mind hysterically countered that she should be thankful. This might mean she could stop this.

“I’ll treat you like a princess.” He loomed over her and there was nothing but black.

This path she’d decided upon left her with nothing but pain and flashes of insanity. Laughter, hollow. There was so much blood. Pain, screaming, was that her own voice? It all seemed so far away. She heard laughter but it wasn’t that of her captor. She’d finally broken. Mirth bubbled up and into her bones. She was happy. Beyond the pain was ecstasy. There was this sense of joy that defied her understanding. This was paradise. She continued to laugh.

Darkness found her again and she had never been happier to slip into oblivion. 


	2. Attempt One

She was back at her apartment. She gasped and sat up expecting to be greeted with bars. She smelled the detergent, stubbornly clinging to her sheets. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she recognized plain walls. She was back. She wouldn’t disobey again. Clearly she was being played by the game, rather than being a player. It was time to reassess her chosen strategy.

 

Zen, that lovely man, was vastly different. Gone was the naïve and beautiful innocence that was basking in Yoosung’s smile. Perhaps it was better she didn’t try to chase ghosts this time. It had ended so badly that she was actually grateful things had reset. She worked hard to cultivate a supportive and platonic relationship. There were moments when his absence hit her with all the force of a runaway semi. She smiled more out of stubbornness than desire. She kept up the front. She almost lost herself when she began to grow aware of a startling notion. A new contender had entered the ring. Without meaning to, while she put her efforts into being the best friend the blonde never knew he needed, the silver haired actor had slowly crept into her awareness. He was beautiful, of that there was no doubt. He was interested in her. This was something that had escaped her notice until this moment. He was actually flirting with her.

She was very careful. She had to be, especially with Jaehee warning her any time there was one degree of excess warmth in the messages she exchanged with the musical actor. She actually shivered when she imagined being on the receiving end of a scolding from her. Warmth bloomed in her chest. Although these days her memories had all the clarity of a mostly forgotten dream, she was always fond and friendly when it came to the Chief Assistant. She meant well, even if her approach lacked grace and tact.

She replied to guest emails. She answered the RFA members with brightness. Her options were limited but she worked as best as she could under the circumstances.

She was a woman whose soul (for lack of a better word) was trapped in the body of someone else, the MC in her favorite game. She wasn’t herself. That was probably the worst of it. She was inhabiting an avatar doomed to repeat the same loop.

She reminded herself daily, and kept a careful distance from them all. She was friendly, if not a little aloof. Eleven days, a successful party, no romance, and she went to sleep pleased she’d avoided a bad outcome. She slipped into dreamland with notions of breaking the cycle.

She woke up back in that apartment, the date seemed a cruel taunt as she looked at the display of her phone. She couldn’t stop her tears of frustration. She was to have another go at this, it seemed.

She danced to the tune laid before her. Yoosung’s best friend, Jaehee’s sympathizer, and cautious warmth for Zen. If not taking interest in a member meant she was back to square one, did she dare to try again? It was hard to resist him. He was charming. It wasn’t his beauty that held her. She wouldn’t argue against the fact that he was breathtaking. He was, in all honesty, painfully beautiful. It was his heart that had her shyly answering his calls. He was straightforward and unafraid of his own sentiments, even if they were at odds with what was expected from a man.  Her stomach was in knots. She felt a familiar twinge in her chest and she tried to stifle it but seeing him so down on his luck was so hard.

_I have to help him._ It was a mantra she favored as she passed her days in relative isolation.  She frowned when Jumin seemed so very insistent that aesthetics had drawn her to the actor. She’d have a word with him at some point. She was not the sort that lacked depth or insight into how ephemeral these things tended to be. She rubbed her forehead, taking note that she had been scowling for quite a bit of time.

_I have to help him._   Thinking and planning were her strong suits. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth and paced the small apartment. What could she possibly do? She found in Jumin an unlikely ally. Naturally, he had an angle. This did not diminish her respect for his shrewdness, if anything her esteem for him was now higher. She was intensely curious about him. Here was a person whose existence was larger than life. His status so far outranked her own she thought it best not to rock the boat and keep distance. She didn’t think that trying to get close to him was in their best interest, nor did she feel brave enough to fathom the idea. She was after all nothing but an avatar at this juncture. A placeholder for something she wasn’t sure existed.

 “I will ask him. I’ll try to get him to listen to the idea.” She finally said. It was the least she could do. She hadn’t promised results but it was enough for the businessman to set up a car straight to Zen.

_Fuck! What am I going to wear?!_   The thought occurred to her and she nearly panicked. She had little time to think, instead she set about getting herself cleaned up. She kept things simple and was careful not to overdo it.

Heart in her throat she headed out to the agreed meeting place, not for the first time she was impressed by how the other half was able to live. While she didn’t like fancy things or care for luxury items, she couldn’t argue against the convenience.

The ride over was a relatively quiet one. She and the driver exchanged some pleasantries but didn’t get into serious conversation. She envied Jumin just a little because he had this capable man at his disposal. She smiled and Mr. Kim returned her cheer.

“I’m supposing you’re feeling in high spirits?” He inquired.

“Y-yes, that and I found myself thinking that Jumin is a lucky individual to have you under his employ. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this secure… and you’re making such good time!” She admitted a little shy now that she’d been caught.

“I thank you for thinking so.”  Mr. Kim chuckled and an amiable silence enveloped them both. It gave her some time to think. She was actually going to meet Zen! She could scarcely believe it. True, she met him during each of the parties she’d made it to but this was entirely different.

In the course of her quiet contemplations she also realized that as time progressed, some of her memories had lost their clarity. She supposed it was to be expected. She didn’t know if that was an ominous portend for her state of mind but she was doggedly sticking to optimism. It would do no one in this situation any good for her to be excessively negative. If she could continue to view things as a new opportunity rather than a reset due to failure, she might be on to something. She could feel the car slowing down and adjusting to traffic. Were they nearby? She felt herself panic a little. Breathing exercises saw her through the final leg of their little trip. Mr. Kim found parking nearby. Laughing, she was escorted by him after he gallantly opened the door for her. She was unaccustomed to such deference. She carefully followed the driver as he accompanied her to Zen’s door. Holy mackerel. She was here!

Palms sweating and hands shaking just a little she watched as Mr. Kim rang the doorbell and held her breath.

Zen opened the door pretty quickly, his expression showing some minor confusion and a heaping dose of surprise.

“I’ve brought her following Mr. Han’s orders. He has told me to bring her back in two hours, so I will be waiting out in front.”

Ofelia nodded. Her white knight. She smiled from where she stood, somewhat awkwardly. His earnest expression was her undoing. How could he wear his heart on his sleeve like that? She felt her own heart begin to thaw in response. Maybe, maybe this was what she was supposed to be doing. This was how she would break the cycle. If she considered this second chance a lesson, she’d satisfy whatever requirements the universe had decreed. That was the only thing she was willing to consider.

“I can’t believe you’re here.” He whispered, eyes drinking her in. Her cheeks were hot and burned like the surface of the sun.

“Neither can I.” Her smile was bright and he returned her expression so beautifully it took everything in her not to weep. She found herself making a study of the floor. She was nervous and words left her. When she dared to glance at him, she discovered he appeared to be nervous as well. It seemed like he was trying to burn all her features into his memory, forever. It didn’t help her blushing.

“Come in. You came all this way, let’s get you comfortable.” His cheeks also going pink.  At this point he seemed to remember the driver’s presence, as he ushered her in. “Oh, Driver? You can ignore what Jumin said. We’ll have fun and call you when we’re finished. Bye~!”

The stammered protests of Mr. Kim went unheard as Zen closed the door. He was quick to lock it behind him. She was still blushing and found her voice was much meeker than she preferred.

“Is it okay to ignore what Driver Kim said?” He smiled at her.

“It’s fine, fine.” He looked her over, his eyes lingering on hers as she raised her gaze to meet his. “Wow… you’re a cute lady. Your eyes are so bright.” Any chances of her redness fading retreated while figuratively screaming into the sunset.

“T-thank you.” She was squirming inwardly. She couldn’t recall a time she’d been so flustered in recent history.

“Nice to meet you.” Zen continued, cheerful, in stark contrast to his mood in the chatrooms as of late. “And I really wanted to see you, I meant it.”

“I wanted to see you too.” She smiled at him before continuing in a bit of a rush. “You’re more handsome in person.” He was blushing a bit too, which helped to ease her nerves some.

“. . . I don’t want to let you go!” He murmured. It was followed by another softly spoken question. “You can’t live here, can you?” His embarrassment had him rubbing the back of his neck to dispel his feelings of awkwardness but Ofelia only smiled.

“I’d love to stay but let’s take it step by step?” She offered thinking it was more of a compromise. Granted, that would be the ideal outcome. Bliss at the homestead. She’d be far away from that lonely apartment and out of her own plain one.

He chuckled, seeming apologetic.

“I haven’t been this happy to see someone at my house…”

“I’m so happy to be here, Zen, really.” Her brain was still struggling to wrap around the idea that he was within arm’s reach. Her fingers itched to touch him. Was his hair as soft as she imagined? Would he be hot to the touch? She could all but feel the warmth radiating from him at this distance.

“I had so many things I wanted to show you.” He sighed happily. “First, what do you want to drink? Let’s sit down and talk.” He ushered her to the couch and motioned for her to take a seat.

“Are you sure it’s not a bother?” She was a bit skeptical as she looked at his cast and back up at his amused expression. His emotions were so clearly reflected in his eyes. She could not believe any of this.

“A bother?” He laughed. “Not at all, I’m so happy you’re here.”

“If you’ve got bottled water, that’s fine with me.” She smiled.  


	3. Nightfall

Try as she might to heed the sky before them both, Ofelia was transfixed by the sight of Zen relaxed and stargazing. She was thankful that he wasn’t looking at her because she thought it might come off as sycophantic. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was interested in his looks and had no interest in who he was as a person. It was the exact opposite. She was deeply intrigued by him. 

 

“I’m so happy you brought me here. I can see why you like it so much.” Her words were soft now that she’d managed to look away from him. She felt him sigh as though some weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Their proximity was doing fun things to her insides. She was acutely aware that their hands were a hair’s breadth from touching. With his full attention not on her, she figured she might be able to dare something.  Holding her breath she slid her fingers through his. It took a few heartbeats before she was able to breathe again, since he had taken such a firm grasp of her hand. Giving it a squeeze had robbed her of any remaining oxygen.

They shared a sheepish look and laughter helped to clear some of the tension they were both feeling. She was an adult, why was she so flustered? She took comfort in the fact that he appeared to be in the same boat.

“I feel like I’ve known you forever. I’m at ease with talking to you and telling you everything.”

“That makes me so happy.” Her reply was direct and a touch unlike her but it was made easier by the fact that he held nothing back. Surely, it couldn’t hurt to do the same. Her reward was great. He smiled and she lost her breath again.

Too soon, the night was drawing to a close. She’d learned so much about the man behind this beautiful face. She smiled at him, wondering how it was possible to feel so at ease this quickly. Granted, although she felt comfortable around him she was still a little timid. The racing of her heart told her all she needed to know.  She was besotted. They shared a look and she wondered if he was going to kiss her. She hoped he would. She felt warmed all the way through.

“I don’t want to do this but…” As he began speaking she was quite concerned her expression had been too telling. How embarrassing. “I think the right move would be to send you home. I don’t want to unleash the beast.”

“Do I have to leave?” Ofelia asked quietly. He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair, the air he exhaled seeming to speak to how torn he was.

“I don’t want you to go.” He said, finally which served to relax her a touch. “I just don’t want to rush things. I want to do this right.” The smile which followed had her heart doing somersaults. That couldn’t be healthy.

“Okay, Hyun. Just this once.” She replied in an effort to alleviate some of the pressure. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel conflicted and as though he’d hurt her feelings. She gave his hand a squeeze.

“Just promise me you’ll make it up to me someday soon.”  She chuckled as he looked her over. It seemed she was capable of surprising them both with fleeting boldness. He laughed and pulled her close.

“I will, Princess. Have no doubt about that.”

That promise uttered he reluctantly released her and led the way back to Driver Kim.


End file.
